The Return of the Marauders
by Musicalscars97
Summary: Professor Snape thought this year was off to a bad start anyway, what with Remus Lupin coming to teach at Hogwarts (and getting the job HE wanted and deserved!); but when stupid and familiar pranks start targeting him, he'd have no choice but to believe he's either gone mad… Or that they have come back! Semi Sirius—I mean serious story. Set during the Prisoner of Azkaban.
1. Chapter 1

_**The Return of the Marauders**_

* * *

As Professor Dumbledore gave his speech, welcoming the students to a new year, Professor Snape listened as attentively and respectfully as always, trying with all his might to not be affected by the presence of the man sitting next to him. He, Snape, was doing a beautiful job, his face blank and free of the hatred that was currently eating him; but then Dumbledore turned to his direction, that is, Remus's, exclaiming joyfully, "I am pleased to Welcome Professor R. J. Lupin, who's kindly accepted the post of Defense Against The Dark Arts Teacher. Good luck Professor!"

The hall erupted into thunderous applause, Remus stood up with a humble and thankful expression on his face; Snape saw no alternate, everyone could see him, the hatred and resentment on his face, he slowly and briefly offered Lupin _one_ applause.

A few people murmured things, mostly about Remus's shabby appearance for a Hogwarts teacher—which lifted Snape's spirits somewhat. A few Slytherins commented scathingly, making Snape proud. But the Potter boy… he was suspecting, no, no: he had realized Snape's feelings…

 _They will get along just fine, I imagine,_ Snape thought, fighting the impulse to clench his teeth, looking at Harry Potter, the spitting image of that vomiting, cowardly, little son of a…

Dumbledore was speaking, _I should listen_ , Snape tried but Potter was discussing Remus with his friends, the Gryffindors, unlike Snape's Slytherins, thought very highly of the new teacher. Of course they would. He has still take fake, repulsive, kind, and sweet face that deceits his true nature…

 _Pay attention to Dumbledore!_ Oh he could not allow the old Marauder take his focus. He shouldn't give him any importance. The Headmaster was warning the students about Dementors now. Snape had to fight his eyes to not turn to see Harry. The boy had fainted, he could not—though he tried—blame him.

What horrible sight did Potter see? What did the Dementors bring him? Could he have seen…what Snape also fears the most? That awful memory. That awful night she…

 _No._ He thought about her every day of his life, but not at any moment. He couldn't afford such thing. He had to pick his moments to allow her memory to consume him. He'd break down if he even thought of her…

Coughing awkwardly, as if to hide his thoughts, Snape grabbed a glass of wine, brought it to his thin lips, hoping it would help calm him down, but—

Without thinking, without being able of holding back, Snape spitted out the drink, slurring a curse and making a mess. All of the teachers turned immediately to see him, while the entire crowd of students exploded with laughter.

 _Fucking hell! What was that?_ The most nauseating taste he had not had in years…

"Severus?" Dumbledore asked with concern. "Are you all right?"

"Quiet, all of you!" McGonagall shouted.

Potter! Snape's memory came back to bite him. He had done it! The bastard had not changed in thirteen years—fuck. What was he thinking? The man was dead! He couldn't have done it.

"Severus?" Dumbledore insisted on getting his attention. He was probably worried about the deadly and sickly look he must've had… Snape remembered: that potion would make the face go half white, half green.

A surge of mad fury attacked Snape, even bitterer than the drink he had just tasted. The Gryffindor table was still contorting with laughs, despite Minerva's constants _Shut up's_.

 _Potter!_ Snape thought, now looking at the kid with the lightning scar. But no, though he and Wesley were still roaring amused, while the Granger girl warned them to shut it, he couldn't have done it…

"I don't think it's poison, thank God," a soft voice said next to Snape. He turned his head, almost in slow-motion, to see Remus inspecting the glass Snape had dropped.

"You…" Snape muttered slowly, staring at Remus Lupin, his black eyes flashing all bottled years of rancor.

"Severus, you should go to the hospital wing," Professor Flitwick suggested.

"No…" Snape gasped, all of the sudden he remembered Potter's potion also made the tongue go dry. "I dow the countder curds!" he cried, his tongue now also very large. _That's new…_

"You know the counter curse?" Dumbledore asked, he looked less concerned and angrier now.

Snape nodded. He stood up, unwilling to take more of that humiliation, and made move to leave the hall.

None of the students, not even the first years or the Weasley twins dared laugh now. Not when Dumbledore's face looked so displeased.

Snape intended to make a graceful and dignified escape, but as he reached for the door, something came in the way. He couldn't have noticed in his hurry, the creature was so small and insignificant. Yet with the ability of making Snape lose all balance and fall harshly to the ground.

Again the students couldn't contain their amusement, even the Slytherin table was roaring loudly. The Malfoy boy was at first putting a hand on his mouth to prevent his laughter, in the end he threw his head back and tears almost sprung from his eyes.

Snape was livid.

He slowly stood up again, as he did, silence, of pure fear at him, invaded the hall.

He looked around at the floor, and saw what had made him stumble. It was a rat.

" _Wingardium Leviosa_ ," Snape said carefully and lifted the animal with his wand.

"Scabbers!" came the stupid voice of the youngest Weasley boy.

Snape turned a menacing and icy glare at the red-headed fool.

The Granger girl paled as if she was about to be punished. Potter shook his head and mouthed a _Shut Up_ to his friend.

Snape walked to where the trio sat, feeling like he had to punish someone…

"Professor Snape," Remus Lupin actually had the nerve of talking to him!

"Dis 's ur anma?" Snape asked, his face close to Weasley.

"W—what?" the boy asked, stupidly.

Snape hit his head—not as hardly as he wished.

"Hey!" the Potter boy screamed, as angry as Snape felt. "It's not Ron's fault you can't watch your step!"

"Harry!" the Granger girl shrieked.

"Severus, please," the usually mellow voice of Dumbledore rang behind him. "Do not, you know I don't approve. What did the boy do, really? He shouldn't have let his pet on the loose, of course, but it does not account for such physical punishment!"

Snape merely nodded, his nostrils wide, and let the rat fall on Weasley's plate.

Dumbledore lifted the animal, dried him, and placed it in Ron's hands. "Better put him on a—safer place."

Weasley nodded, he stood up, seconds later Granger and Potter imitated him, and the trio fled from the scene.

Severus refused anyone's help. He refused to talk to anyone while his speech was so poor; and simply treated his ailment privately in his office.

When he was back to normal, he thought of the previous events, knowing that though they had James Potter written all over them, that was impossible. He wanted to blame Remus again but a part of him told him he was above such behavior—though the coward would certainly allow it.

But then he remembered, the thought reached and hit him like a wrecking ball; it was a thought every bit of scary as infuriating… _Sirius Black has escaped Azkaban…_

* * *

 **FOR THE RECORD:** I do not find bullying amusing, but I always thought J. K. intended for the Marauders to be a Fred/George type pranksters. Of course things got later out of hand given James and Snape's rivalry. Don't worry, he'll get back at them.

Review please!


	2. Chapter 2

_It's not possible._ Snape thought while in the gloomy darkness of his office. There's no way Black could break into Hogwarts. And even he did… He wouldn't waste his time giving Snape prank-wine. The man, the scumbag, probably had other things in mind. He was a criminal, on the run, most definitely worrying about escaping the Dementors and the Ministry. Hogwarts is the last place Black would go to.

Unless…Maybe Remus is helping him, his old school pal.

No. Remus must hate Black almost as much as Snape does; after the way he betrayed… _Stop._ It's too early for that. And speaking of the devil—err Remus, he should now focus on brewing his… potion accurately and carefully.

 _Ugh,_ Snape groaned as he worked on the werewolf's potion. To think he had to help James Potter's old friend. The one who once almost killed him.

The sun would show in the sky soon, Snape figured, checking the time; the students would soon rise, so he should hurry.

He walked with the bottled potion in his hand and knocked on Lupin's door. The man opened almost at once—he had probably been up all night waiting for it. "Thank you, Severus," Remus said with supreme gratitude.

"I don't exactly do this for you," Snape slowly said, fixing his black eyes on the other professor's face. "Dumbledore has asked me."

"Besides," Remus said with a small smirk. "You don't want to see any students getting hurt."

"I actually wouldn't mind if a few of them were… injured." Snape spat bitterly.

"Right… I wonder if you actually manage to fool yourself. I have only been here a few days and I'm already amazed by the kids. You who have known them for years can't possibly not care—"

"Goodbye, Professor." Snape cut him short, abruptly. "I will have your next potion ready." Without another word, he stalked away. Hating that he couldn't believe Remus to be helping Black, while also sure he didn't pranked him the night of the welcoming banquet.

Was Snape going mad simply by having that man in the castle, whom brought more alive than even the son, James Potter's memory?

The Potions Master decided to leave the matter alone. He walked into his classroom, the dungeons, like usual, hoping to immerse himself in the subject and the class, forgetting all about the Marauders.

He sat in front of his chair, quietly, enjoying the peaceful quiet of not a single word. He knew he couldn't just waste the class, so he decided, a slight evil grin on his pale face, to give them a surprise evaluation.

At this, almost every student complained, particularly the Gryffindors—well, except for the Granger girl, ugh, that annoying know-it-all that hangs with Potter.

"Quiet, all of you," Snape ordered and the voices ultimately hushed. As he was taking out the parchments, he heard the whispery conversation between Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter.

"It's only the first week," the Weasley boy was whining. "Can you believe him? He's absolutely mental!"

"Why are you so shocked?" Potter's whisper sounded tired and resigned. "At least we won't have his crooked nose behind us all class—"

Dozens of pieces of parchment flew around the dungeons, each one landing in front of a student.

Snape had first thought of giving them a simple formative evaluation test, have them recall things they must certainly should be acquainted with, but Weasley and Potter's conversation made him see, he was being too soft on them. So each had ten essay questions on things they would only know if they read the New Year school book, which Snape knew all but Granger would fail.

"Each one of you have different questions," Snape said above the murmurs of annoyance. "So don't even think of copying—Longbottom."

"Wha—I never—wouldn't…" Longbottom stammered.

"Quiet," Snape said, standing next to the boy, who looked as usual, paper-white at having Snape so close. "That was to all of you. Any word now means detention with me. You may start now."

About twenty seconds passed in silence, Snape was barely getting comfortable in his chair again when the most annoying sight he encountered in Hogwarts in the recent years passed his eyes: the Granger girl had raised her hand.

"I said no words." Snape threatened. The girl didn't give up. A minute passed and she had her both hands up. Repressing a sigh of intolerance, and dislike, Snape said. "What is it, Miss Granger?"

"Forgive me, sir," she said, mustering a tone of respect Snape found phony. "But you have made several spelling mistakes."

Every student, Gryffindors and Slytherins, looked up from their piece of parchment in amazement. The Weasley boy looked half-proud, half-worried. Longbottom was shaking. Draco Malfoy was smiling as if he knew Snape was about to take all the points from Gryffindor.

"What…" Snape muttered quietly, trying and failing to hide his astonishment and anger.

"I don't know if it's just in mine," the Granger girl looked slightly flustered but determinate. Snape wished she was a boy so he could smack a book on her head.

Snape called the piece of parchment from Neville Longbottom's grasp—which was still empty—, and read it. "I see no mistakes, apart from the sweat from Longbottom's shaky hands," Snape said calmly.

The Slytherins sniggered. Snape saw that Granger was about to say something—

"Mr. Malfoy," Snape then said. "Would you mind telling me whether you found any mistakes in your evaluation?"

The Malfoy boy pretended to read, then said, "None whatsoever, sir."

"Ten points for Slytherin," Snape said with a slight smile.

Weasley and Potter made disrespectful faces.

"But sir!" Granger cried.

"And fifteen points from Gryffindor," Snape coldly said. "I had instructed you lot to not say a word."

"Forgive me, sir," Granger's voice shook a little but she held her head high. "But since you said all evaluations were different, you can't be sure if you made a mis—mistake or not!" she grabbed the test next to hers. "Harry's is fine. Must be just mine…" she cowered somewhat at the cold look Snape gave her. "I'm very sorry but I can't answer correctly if not even the questions are right!"

Snape walked, almost jumping in front of her, looking like he would use a terrible curse on her. Seemingly aware, Granger said, "Sir, not even your own name is written correctly. I'm sorry! I'm sorry! But it's true, look," she handed her parchment to Snape. "You wrote Snivellus instead of…" she stopped talking, the look on Snape's face was chilling, and she most definitely looked as though she wished she hadn't said anything after all.

Snape stared at the piece of parchment, his eyes burning into the inky text. He couldn't believe it… as usual, the Granger girl was right, but he couldn't hate her any more for it, as his old hatred was devouring him at the moment. Too many years had passed since he last heard that nickname.

"Snivellus?" Harry Potter questioned. This was too much. He looked so much like his father—apart from the eyes, of course—and hearing him say that nickname, insult… Snape felt the earth was quivering, his own fury making him tremble at every step as he finally reached his chair.

"Twenty more points from Gryffindor," he said, his voice icy-cold, nothing like the fire he felt within. "For looking at Potter's test, Miss Granger." For once she knew better than to answer, no matter how unfair she thought the whole thing. "And detention with me, this Saturday, 7:00 am!" she looked, like Longbottom, skin paper-white. Snape was sure she had never gotten detention before. "Evaluation is over!" he cried and pieces of parchment flew around the gloomy classroom. He was sure no one had gotten passed at least the second question, but he couldn't care, he was fighting every bit of himself to not start crying… he had not felt so much emotion in years.

Snape needed to get out of the scene; he stalked, passing the hateful looks the Granger girl's friends gave him, and found the door. He stood there a moment, and said, "I want a paper by next class resuming the questions you didn't manage to answer."

Giving another step, triumphantly to leave behind the furious faces, he stumbled clumsily, falling, his face to the stony floor. No one dared laugh. Standing up, he captured with his foot the stupid rat that had previously given him trouble before. "Weasley!" Snape roared.

"I—I don't know how he got here, sir!"

"You'll be accompanying Miss Granger on Saturday, too!" Snape hissed.

"What?" Harry Potter muttered, very quietly, looking, rightfully so, astonished that Ron would get detention for Snape's lack of care and vision.

"You, too, Potter!" Snape cried.

The Slytherins were almost cheering, while the Gryffindors looked like they couldn't believe Potter would get into trouble for saying one simple word to himself.

 _What…_

* * *

 **Author's note:** Poor Severus! :( I remember him being at an all-time mean during the Prisoner of Azkaban and the Goblet of Fire… So of course these pranks sent him over the edge… Review please! If you can tell me of a prank the Marauders did on Snape while they were classmates, I'd appreciate it! Finding information about that timeline on the internet in kinda hard…

Thanks for reading!


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